What cause pyelonephritis?

Cause of pyelo?: 29 F wants to know cause of pyelonephritis. Aka infection of the kidneys causing scaring and kidney failure. Can also be related analgesic abuse if you lived in Australia and took a lot. Some have symptoms of infection others not. Congenital reflux from bladder or kidney stones contribute. At one time thought to be common cause of HTN. Rarely one side which may increase BP. Check UPTODATE for more

Pyelonephritis: Most kidney infections develop as a complication of a bladder infection (cystitis). Germs (bacteria) causing cystitis can sometimes travel up from the bladder to infect a kidney. The bacteria are usually those which live in the bowel. They can travel from the back passage (anus), up the tube which passes out urine from the bladder (the urethra), into the bladder and cause a bladder infection. This infection can then travel up the tube between the bladder and kidney (ureter) to cause a kidney infection.